ABB secures power plant automation deal from South African utility

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ABB has secured an order from Eskom at a cost of $160 million to supply control systems, software and instrumentation for the 4,800 MW Kusile coal-fired power station near Witbank in South Africa.

ABB is supplying a complete control and instrumentation solution for the entire plant, including boiler protection and plant simulator, engineering, installation, commissioning, optimization and training.

Kusile plant under construction right now will be the fourth largest coal-fired power station in the world on completion, featuring wet flue gas desulphurization technology in all its boilers.

The plant features a high-pressure, high-temperature supercritical power installation, with efficiency higher than conventional coal-fired power plants, having low emissions and reduced fuel costs.

Eskom, South Africa’s national power utility generates more than 90 percent of its electricity from coal-fired stations installing advanced clean coal technology, which ensures a long term and reliable base-load electricity for the region.

The project strengthens ABB’s position as a provider of advanced automation and software solutions to electricity utilities, with systems already installed in South Africa, Lesotho, Malawi, Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Recently, ABB won a cable system order worth $130 million from DONG Energy for Walney Extension Wind Farm off the coast of England.

As part of the deal, ABB will supply a high-voltage cable system to DONG Energy, a Danish integrated energy company, to bring power from the Walney Extension wind park off the northwest coast of England to more than a million people in the United Kingdom.

In another initiative, ABB is partnering with Pact Myanmar for establishing solar battery charging stations in the Tada Oo township of Mandalay, Central Myanmar.

ABB will provide financial support to the villages to purchase photovoltaic equipment at the community level.

ABB power plant automation and software ensure more effective plant operations, providing greater awareness and enabling faster response and better decisions that improve plant availability and efficiency.

Sabeena Wahid
[email protected]